I’m going to give all of you reading this a Homework Assignment for today. Today I want you to listen/read or watch anything regarding the Mets and their sweep of the Braves. Your assignment: I want you to assess the tone.
In other words. Observe the way the Mets are portrayed. For example: were the Mets lucky this weekend? Are the Mets bad but the Braves worse? Is this all just fools hope? Are the Mets just major pretenders?
Let me explain why I choose this specific assignment. I’m a big Mike Francesa fan. I’ve been listening to his show for a good 15 years. I did like it better when it was the Mike and the Mad Dog show because I always felt that Chris Russo kind of balanced out Mike when he went off on his Yankee rants but so be it. I may disagree with Francesa but he runs a good show.
I’m going to be real curious to hear what he has to say regarding the Mets this weekend….and yes I will get the Daily News and the Post just to get a read.
And as I write this post on this windy Sunday night watching Fox 5 Sports, it’s already beginning. The announcer is talking about how the Mets are 3-0 and the Yankees are 0-3. But as he breaks to a commercial, a stat flashes across the screen that states the last time the Yankees were 0-3 to start the season was 1998 when they went on to win 114 games and the World Series.
I guess what I’m trying to grasp is that as much as I want to get excited over what happened this past weekend with the Mets and the way they played, I’m going to read or hear someone tell me that it’s all for not. That it’s not really real….that the Mets are still doomed.
And to be honest…..that get’s me angry.
However, when it comes down to the Yankees or say the Phillies….it’s just a slow start or a minor bump. There is always optimism when it comes down to those two teams. I understand that this is only the first three games of the season and you can’t rush to judgement.
And that’s what I’m looking for.
I don’t think it would be right for anyone to rush to judgement that the Mets are going to be a contender……but I also believe that that thinking should also apply to that of them being horrific.
Like I said……I’m going to be doing a lot of reading a listening today.
12 comments
srt
4/9/2012-8:42am at 8:42 am (UTC -4)
I’ve done much reading already. I’ll give you my impressions….
- No one is saying right now the Mets could be a contender. And I think that’s for 2 reasons:
– The consensus seems to be the top 3 starters for the Mets still don’t necessarily match up on paper with most of the other NL east teams but they think it’s still a strength and still can compete with those other staffs.
- Even if the Mets starting staff can hold their own against the rest there is very little depth. Young, if he can get healthy sooner rather than later and Schwinden appear to be next on the depth chart. Given the fact that at least one usually winds up on the DL, mindset is it’s going to be a big problem.
Also…..the Mets don’t seem to be getting much credit yet for their play as much as the other NL east teams – more so Phils, Marlins and Braves rather than the Nats are being picked apart b/c of their weaknesses.
It’s very early seems to be the main point. And I have to agree. Loved what I watched over the weekend. Here’s hoping that momentum carries into this week.
Stickguy
4/9/2012-9:24am at 9:24 am (UTC -4)
Sorry. On vacation (outer banks) this week, so not doing any homework! And considering the local news is out of Virginia beach, not going to be getting much met news (outside of what gets posted here in the morning or evening check-ins!)
My guess, however, is that the main stream is going to play it for now as a fluke, the Braves were overrated, stuff like that. But, there will be some cracks of, what if we underestimated?
Key is, the “experts” have to leave some wiggle room now, because if they go all in on “the Mets suck”, and they turn out to be good, the heads will look dumber than normal. So, important to them to hedge like hell now, just in case! Can always go with the “I knew all along, I told you so” it the team falls apart.
I think the real key is doing this next Monday, if they can go say 2-3 against the Nats and Phils to start 7-2. That would cause a seismic shift!
kingman 26
4/9/2012-9:31am at 9:31 am (UTC -4)
It’s 3 games, and Pelf and Gee–by far the two biggest question marks–have yet to pitch.
The Braves looked abominable offensively.
Still, anyone who was not encouraged by Johan and Niese, and how Wright absolutely looks like the Wright of 2005–2009 pre-beaning, and Duda and Murph’s offense, and Tejada and Kirk’s presence, simply is not paying attention.
And the bullpen—easily THE biggest surprise.
Still, 3 games against a seriously offensively challenged team do not a season make.
But overall, what we saw does begin to raise hopes of a .500 season. I am not going past that just yet.
Stickguy
4/9/2012-9:38am at 9:38 am (UTC -4)
come on buddy, I know you pulled back the dusty cover on the float to take a peek, maybe put some air in the flat tires, just in case…
kingman 26
4/9/2012-9:50am at 9:50 am (UTC -4)
Hell, I stocked the bar, re-upped with the ice supplier, had it washed and waxed, and even put the picture of Wright back in a prominent position where it belongs.
srt
4/9/2012-10:32am at 10:32 am (UTC -4)
I guess you don’t gas it up until about mid season? LOL
I love the Mets but have to temper the ‘we’re going all the way’ mindset I’m reading this morning.
kingman 26
4/9/2012-10:49am at 10:49 am (UTC -4)
It is always full of gas….I am always prepared!
I have vivid dreams constantly, so just in case the Mets are in the World Series in one of them, I must make sure the Parade Float is always full of gas.
And yeah, I am not getting ahead of myself, that is for sure, but I did not expect Johan to look so good, I did not expect the pen to look great, and I did not expect Wright to look so fantastic either, so while I definitely am not ordering playoff tix just yet, I was really awfully pleasantly surprised by that series.
kingman 26
4/9/2012-9:36am at 9:36 am (UTC -4)
And PS Will—You know how much I enjoy your columns and respect everything about you, but if you allow yourself to get mad at what obviously biased media blowhards say about the Mets, well my friend, all I can say is that you shouldn’t—it is WAYYYYY beneath you.
Who cares?
I love the Mets, and I could care less what Yankee-centric media numbskulls say about my Mets.
srt
4/9/2012-9:43am at 9:43 am (UTC -4)
The NY sports media is still in full blown ‘Bash everything about the Mets’ mode.
I don’t know how many stories I read this weekend regarding the ‘sellout’ for opening day. Mets had to bribe fans to come, it wasn’t really a sellout, empty seats galore, blah, blah, blah.
It’s been said over and over: winning cures everything.
I’d like nothing better than the Yankees to continue on the path they showed in their opening series. Maybe then they’d get off the Mets back on on the Yankees.
kingman 26
4/9/2012-9:47am at 9:47 am (UTC -4)
Guess what?
I heard and read and saw NONE of that!!!!! That tree fell in the forest and I did not hear it!!
As far as I know, the NY and national media are all over the Mets with praise!!
I mean, I force myself to follow the revolting media’s coverage of politics, but not sports–I love the Mets and enjoy them, and in the wake of Reyes/Madoff/etc., there is ZERO chance I will let the media tarnish the Met experience for me again any time soon.
srt
4/9/2012-10:31am at 10:31 am (UTC -4)
The lunatic fringe on MF’s show on Friday were on a roll with this. I’m thinking to myself…what the hell are we talking about paid attendance numbers when the baseball season just started and there’s so much more to be debating?
By end of yesterday though and that 3 game sweep, that was long forgotten.
gategem
4/10/2012-12:01am at 12:01 am (UTC -4)
The coverage by Newsday was mostly positive.
BTW the last six times Kentucky has won the NCAA the Yankees have won the WS.
After their freefalls last year weak starts by the RedSox and Braves could get into these teams mindset.